Celebrating Ten Months of Poetry Magic at Catland Books

Since July of 2015, Catland has been opening it's doors to Brooklyn's poets and writers in the form of Mystic Poets Open Mic. This once-monthly gathering has transformed into a dedicated community of authors, poets and witches. Readers are invited to bring their sonnets, prose, essays, diary entries, and literature of all kinds, with all topics welcome and no rules honored.

(Except for one rule. All readers must bring a single haiku for the Haiku Contest.)

This event began as the brainchild of owners Melissa Madara and Frederic Jennings, who saw the void of poetry mics in North Brooklyn, and answered the call. Both established poets themselves, the pair schemed over cocktails and dreamt of an evening that both honored the inherent magic of the written word and gave writers freedom to speak their truth. In their decree that this evening would have "all worlds open / all verses given voice", Mystic Poets was born.

Now one of only a handful of poetry open mics in Bushwick, Mystic Poets has been setting the stage for novice and advanced writers alike. Through the months, speakers have returned again and again to sharpen their skills and be inspired by others. The experience has been transformative and powerful, as some writers have returned to hone their voices onstage, while others are approaching the microphone for the very first time. While not all participants subscribe to the mystical realm in which Catland makes it's home, on this night, the shop becomes a temple to the power of the written word.

This month, Mystic Poets Open Mic invites you to join us for our tenth month of readings & revelry. Celebrate with us as we approach our full year mark, and what was once a small open mic comes into its own as a dedicated and diverse community of artists.

If you would like to be a part of our next Mystic Poets Open Mic, please send an email to info@catlandbooks.com, or RSVP to our event on Facebook. Our next round will be on Friday, May 27th, at 7pm.